Christmas Letter 2013

Merry Christmas!

The South Carolina McParland’s may be a bit tardy with our Christmas greetings again this year, but we do have a good excuse.  Really we do, and we’ll get to that in just a moment …..

Before we brag about all the good things that happened in our lives this year, we must apologize for the lack of a Christmas letter/post last year.  My mom quietly passed away on Nov. 16, 2012 surrounded by her husband, their seven children, and several grandchildren.  Jackie Xaver’s death was closely followed by the tragedy at Sandy Hook and the West Webster Fire Department ambush on Christmas Eve.  Afterward it was impossible to work up any “holiday cheer”; the day after Christmas, the tree came down, and there was no letter.  

2013 however, did turn out to be a very good year!  We enjoyed visits from many guests throughout the year and made frequent trips ourselves to Boulder, Colorado and Lexington, KY.  I threw myself into work at The Blumenthal Arts Center and enjoyed the symphony, opera, the North Carolina Dance Company, Broadway Theater and many diverse forms of entertainment that I might never have enjoyed otherwise. I saw the Lion King 22 times; it was a thrill each time, and I never grew tired of it!  Charles continues his teaching at Charlotte Catholic H.S. There are many students who impress him with their effort and their maturity; and then there are the others...

Early in January  I traveled to Rochester, NY to celebrate the life of Charles’ Aunt Mary Jean. She was one of those women who always impressed us with her hard work and her devotion to her family. She was a kind and gentle heart.  While I was in New York, I took the opportunity to see many good EMS friends and, as it was January, was reminded why we had moved to South Carolina!

We have always thought of the February to April  time frame as “Birthday Season” with more than 2 dozen birthdays to celebrate in our extended family. This past year, February brought us a new date to celebrate with the formal adoption of our daughter Jess.  All of the daughters were there along with Jess’ husband, Shane.  It might seem a little anti-climactic, since Jess had been part of the family for so long and was now married. But it was an affirmation of our lifelong commitment to one another as “family”, as well as serving some very practical concerns.  

May was a very busy month starting with the 40th reunion weekend at the University of Notre Dame. We always have such a good time reconnecting with our ND friends.  We took the opportunity to renew our marriage vows in the Basilica.  We followed the reunion with our son-in-law Shane’s graduation from The University of Kentucky Law School and our nephew Jeremy’s graduation from Mid-Carolina University.  Both were wonderful events.   Our celebration with Shane’s parents and grandparents included a day together at Keeneland watching the horse races. At Jeremy’s graduation we met Ben’s fiancee Kate, who is delightful - they plan on getting married in June this coming year.

We finished off the month at the Spoleto festival in Charleston, a 17-day long festival offering opera, music of all sorts, theatre, dance, art exhibits and special events.  Of course the food in Charleston is legendary, and you can bet we’ll make it a yearly event!

In June I met my 4 daughters in Colorado where they competed together in the Boulder Triathlon. We started our weekend with a henna party and finished with some terrific Mexican food at a favorite restaurant.  The daughters all finished with a new individual best.  

Also in June, my dad and siblings gathered in Greenville for Mom’s memorial Mass and a family picnic to celebrate her life.  We are often reminded that Mom continues to be a large presence in our lives.

Katie and her kids spent 3 weeks with us in July.  

Each day included a trip to the pool for swim lessons and adventures collecting bones and bugs and treasures in the woods.  McKenzie became quite a fish. She loves diving for rings or coins.  

Ella prefers to paddle about on “noodles” creatively telling stories to grandpa about the lane numbers.  “Ones are very slow, but two’s are very fast and harder to catch.”  Jacob is happy just to splash about in the kiddie pool with his pool toys.  

The highlight of the year was our 40th Anniversary cruise.   We flew to Rome and spent two days taking in the sights there, including the Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, and The Vatican.  After travelling by coach to the port at Civitavecchia, we boarded the Ruby Princess and cruised to Naples, several Greek Islands, Kusadasi (Turkey), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and finished in Venice.  We kept a blog along with photos at http://kathymcp.blogspot.com/  if you’d enjoy the details.  

This fall Charles managed two Notre Dame football games!  Nathan enjoyed Notre Dame’s victory over Temple for his first ND game.  His grandfather made sure that he had the grand tour of the campus with lots of encouragement to study hard so that he could go to ND some day.  Erin met Charles for the Oklahoma game.  It was a painful game for Old Notre Dame, but a wonderful time.

We enjoyed a lot of time with our seven grandchildren this year.  Meg and Jay now live five minutes away right here in Tega Cay.  Nathan and Morgan love sleepovers, but they also enjoy showing off their newest tricks.  We’ve watched Nate splitting boards and doing his Tae Kwon Do moves.  We’ve watched Morgan’s soccer games.  Grandma and Grandpa are always up for Cub Scout events, building Legos, or a cruise around Lake Wylie.

Erin and Jake had the opportunity this fall to visit St. Maarten with their friends and left Xander and Maya with us for a few days in Tega Cay.  Grandpa dressed up as Gru for Halloween, and his two little yellow minions from Despicable Me joined Meg’s boys for a night of trick or treat fun.  

The minions even visited Grandpa’s classroom with Grandma, but instead of finding kids to play with they found scary big teenagers.  Fortunately Grandpa had a bag of candy to ease the disappointment a little bit.

Earlier I mentioned how much I’ve enjoyed my job at the Blumenthal Arts Center. You know that theatrical saying, "Break a leg"?  Well, a curse of easily broken feet and ankles has been part of my family history for at least 4 generations. The week before Christmas, during the performance of Handel’s Messiah, after the Hallelujah chorus, I fell and knew immediately that I was the newest victim of the curse.  It’s a classic Trimalleolar fracture that was surgically set  this past week (I can expect “the TSA pat-down from now on). So the year ends with an unexpected vacation of sorts and an opportunity to catch up on some reading!  All in all, we have been enormously blessed with opportunity, adventure, and good health this past year, and we are enormously grateful for family and friends!

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all of you.

Reflections on growing older

When my mom died a year ago, the single most compelling thought was how much older I felt. Without Mom to share my day, concerns and thoughts with, I had more responsibility for how that day was spent and how I invested my time and emotion.  Mom was ready to die, in truth, she had been preparing for awhile and we had had long conversations about the end of her life. While I was ready to let go, I was unprepared for how much older I would feel  without her.

My good friend and mentor, Jane introduced me to the Desiderata written by Max Ehrmann when I was a freshman in college. There were many valuable life-lessons in this poem, which was written in 1927, that I have taken to heart in my 40+ years since.  As I approach my 61st birthday, I find myself focused on the part of the poem which advises the reader to “Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.”  It’s a two-part bit of wisdom, the first requiring thoughtful effort of those things one has learn from others as well as one’s own life experiences. The second is simply that of acceptance.

Mom’s life was a study in the meaning of acceptance. ”Let go, Let God” was one of her mantras. As she grew older, Mom became increasingly more able to accept her illness and all the other things that did not necessarily meet with her approval.   Perhaps that is one of the things that “the years” teach you.  You must learn to accept much of what life brings you, even when you disapprove. As a young adult, I found much in the world to rail against.   As I’ve  grown older, acceptance has become easier for me too.

Age does have its privileges.  At 60 I slowed down, I now spend less time explaining, and apologizing, and fighting winless battles.  I have fewer regrets. I gave up going to Mass, not because my faith had weakened, but because it had grown beyond obligation and ritual.  I feel ready to dig deeper into the spiritual wisdom of other traditions and embrace those things that resonate with my own faith experience. I breath more deeply and allow my gaze to rest longer on those things around me. God’s presence can be felt in everything that exists. I try to clear my mind of distractions, live in the moment, quietly and meditatively. The past and the future both burden the mind and spirit with endless concerns.  Life provides moments of absolute peace that are lost unless you can focus on the present moment.

It has been relatively easy to gracefully surrender some of the things of youth.  I have never been one to color my hair.  I don’t mind the silver that has slowly crept across my head. I’ve earned that silver, the roots are deep! It suits me.  I am slowing losing my hearing, but I think I’m okay with that too. There may be great benefit to living in a quieter world as well as needing to lean in more closely and listen more carefully to the people I care most about. Besides, I think it’s possible that I get along better with some people when I can’t hear them!  The physical limitations that come with aging require painful acceptance.  As arthritis sets in, joints refuse move as they once did, and endurance fails, I am reminded that the ability to move is directly related to one’s health.   In many ways, Mom’s passing was liberating; I no longer had an excuse to avoid some gentle, consistent daily exercise and I can now focus on my own health.  While I’d prefer a long walk along the Carolina beaches, water aerobics and yoga seem to work well and now fit into my daily routine.

I decided to return to a past love and took on a part-time job as a Senior Usher at the Blumenthal Theater in uptown Charlotte. The job requires that I welcome the patrons, make them feel comfortable and work to ensure their safety.   In exchange I get to enjoy opera, the symphony, broadway musicals as well as as variety of cultural and entertainment venues that I might not be drawn to otherwise. I’m learning and expanding my cultural literacy.  I love the job and earn enough to do a few extra things with my husband, daughters and grandchildren.

Recognizing  the wisdom that was acquired while growing older is a slower, more thoughtful process.  What other thoughts and experiences resonated with my own, or provided me with inspiration, or motivation?  What have I learned about living a life that has an element of truth, of value and is worth sharing?  What have I learned in my 61 years that might be worthy of passing along to my grandchildren.

“The purpose of life is a life with purpose” (Robert Byrne)  Live an inspired life.  Don’t allow others to set goals for you or discourage you from goals that you have set for yourself.  This is especially important in terms of education and career choices. Be a force to be reckoned with, stay committed, be courageous in achieving your potential. You know best who you are.  Believe in yourself.

“Tie your knots tight”  I have met many courageous, compassionate and generous people in my lifetime.  Individuals who have taught me a great deal about life and how to live with integrity.  The relationships that you value most, and are most grateful for, deserve consistent attention.  I know that nurturing those relationships, connecting often and building memories together makes life richer.  It is especially important to me that I maintain strong and supportive relationships with my four daughters.  They have my respect and admiration as well as my heart.  I want to build memories with my grandchildren and grow really old with my husband, Charles.

Celebrate Life.  One of the best ways to do this is to recognize your many blessings and express your gratitude often. The world around us is full of miracles, large and small. Learn to appreciate all the good stuff that already fills your days. Try to start each day with a sense of wonder and gratitude.  No matter what happens with the rest of your day, on balance, you will remain in a good place mentally and emotionally.  

“We judge ourselves by our good intentions, we judge others by their actions.”  This bit of wisdom adapted from Stephen M.R. Covey, was also expressed by Native Americans. “Walk a mile in another man’s moccasins before you criticize him.”  I have sometimes been very judgemental.  But I have learned that holding onto hurt feelings, disappointments or resentment hurt more, emotionally and physically, than the original injury.   If you can try to understand the motivation of the offender, even when the action remains inexcusable, it goes a long way toward forgiveness and healing.  Wounds don’t heal if you pick at them and scars become signs of survival.  

“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”   Don’t misunderstand, there are people, values and ideals that merit the struggle. But some things suffer more if you persist.  Knowing the difference is important for the survival of your reputation, integrity and your self-worth.  If you want respect and the ability to make a difference, learn to pick your battles.  Having said that, I will admit to being passive-aggressive.  It’s sometimes possible, with patience and persistence, to win the fight without sacrificing a single blade of grass.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” (Winston Churchill)  Perspective makes all the difference. Optimism trumps pessimism. If problems are not thought of as automatic defeats, but rather as challenges, an individual becomes a winner with or without sucess.  An optimist knows that there is something to be gained from every endeavor.  Every effort results in a learning experience, however it turns out.  I’m paraphrasing here but, If you cannot control the wind, know that you can always set the sails.

Practice acts of kindness and acknowledge the invisible among us.  Be kind, in all that you do.  Do not intentionally set out to embarrass, make fun of or injure another.  If you do, the result is almost always that you become the “bully”.  Make eye contact and speak to the custodian, the cashier, and toll booth attendant. Notice all those who take on the most humble roles and professions, they are also heroic, and deserving of our admiration.  I made the mistake of under-estimating some people.  It humbles you and reminds you that we never know enough about someone to pre-judge them.

Don’t waste your emotional energy worrying about things that you cannot control.  I’ve learned it is like sitting in a rocking chair, no matter how fast you rock back and forth, you never get anywhere!  On the other hand, if there is something that you can do, take control, jump in fearlessly and do it!  Develop backup plans so you are less likely to make mistakes, feel helpless or worse … useless. I am a huge advocate of “The backup plan”.  If you consider the options and have strategies that aid in problem solving or coping in times of misfortune and stress, you are less likely to feel powerless.

I know that I can hold my head high in any room and I’ve reminded my daughters that they can too.  The Desiderata reminds me that “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” I can hold my head high in any room.  It is not that I think I am better than anyone else, but that I am equal to all and an integral part of this great story.

I’m keeping my scene safe.  Here is the Desiderata in its entirety:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

© Max Ehrmann 1927

Day 14; Saturday, August 3, 2013  Venice

Venice was covered in dense fog as we approached the port; still we managed a few photos of our approach to this “City of Water”.  Venice is an old city, going back to late Roman times. It became a maritime power by the time of the Crusades. Evidence of it’s past wealth and power are everywhere, but no more so than in St. Mark’s Square, home to the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.  

We left the ship by water taxi and were delivered to the docks where we were greeted by a strange group of young people engaged in what might have been “performance art”.  They were covered in colorful veils.  Soon after we arrived, the silently turned and walked away.  Later as we walked the back alley’s and four bridges to St. Mark’s Square, we encountered them again sitting silently in an outdoor restaurant.  Again, they rose silently and walked away.  Very strange.

We spent most of our day in St. Mark’s Square where pigeons enjoy tormenting the residents and tourists alike. Our excursion took us first to the Doge’s Palace which was the seat of government for centuries. It is an enormous 14th century Venetian gothic structure which held the courts, the prison, and the residence of the Doge.  We walked up the Golden Staircase - where the walls and ceilings were covered with intricate marble and gold mosaics.  We wandered through several waiting rooms that were used to receive foreign visitors and were decorated to demonstrate the power and glory of Venice.  There were massive rooms designed to hold government councils and the Venetian courts.  Condemned prisoners could be ushered out through hidden-panel doors and dark tunnels to the prison next door.  The lower levels of prison were especially dark, damp cold cells, grim places without benefit of sanitation or light and without hope of escape.  

Our guide provided information on several of the large wall frescos in the palace.  Most were painted by teams of highly skilled artists, but one of the teams seems to have had a little trouble making room for images of the important men appearing in the fresco.  The guide brought our attention to a panel in which a man was painted with only one leg - and that leg was painted on the wrong side of his body!  She also mentioned several famous paintings and sculptures that we would not see because Napoleon stole them from the city and never returned them.  Evidently, Venetians know how to hold a grudge.   It is also a little ironic since the Venetians were known as much for piracy as for trade.  The bones of St. Mark the Evangelist which are proudly kept in a silver casket at St. Mark’s Cathedral were stolen by the Venetians and secreted out of Alexandria, Egypt.  More on that particular “dead guy” later.

Venice was fiercely independent and resisted falling under the influence of other powers - including the Vatican States.  For centuries, Venice was aligned with the Byzantine Empire rather than the popes in Rome.  Wars were fought with the Turks and French as well as other Italian cities.

After the Doge’s Palace and the prison, we walked a short distance to one of Venice’s fine Murano glass factories to watch a demonstration of glass blowing and to tour the showrooms.  We saw some fine examples of Venetian glassware (all prohibitively expensive).  Besides, gold encrusted goblets and crystal chandeliers did not fit in our suitcases.

Venice is also a crowded and polluted city, but we couldn’t pass up the experience of a gondola ride along the canal.  We passed under the Rialto Bridge, which was built in 1591 and  remains one of the focal points of Venice.  Charles’ photographs from our ride will show beautiful flowers, water soaked landings, and one crazy tourist who stood in that stinking cesspool of a canal to snap photographs of the passing gondolas.

Our tour ended after the gondola ride, but we stayed l to visit St. Mark’s Basilica.  There are five domes, reflecting the Byzantine architectural influence in it’s construction.  Here there are 43,000 square feet of incredible mosaics from floor to ceiling, created from colorful marbles and gold... lot’s of gold!  I was struck by the enormous wealth and power of the church reflected by churches like St. Mark’s throughout Europe. The irony is that there are frequently beggars outside the churches.  Although it is also worth noting that often they “professional beggars” who work in teams and who are anything but hungry and poor.

Tomorrow morning we leave for home ….. we have had a wonderful cruise but are looking forward to seeing our family.

Day 14; Saturday August 3, 2013 Venice

Day 14; Saturday August 3, 2013 Venice
Link to Day 14 Venice Photographs

Day 13; Friday, August 2, 2013 Another Day “At Sea”

Day 13; Friday, August 2, 2013 “At Sea”

The day provided another opportunity to catch up on the blog notes and do some laundry.  Tomorrow we will arrive in Venice, but essentially the packing needs to begin today so our bags can be ready for disembarkation early Sunday.  We will start our day at 3:30 am and arrive home about 8:00 pm if everything falls into place.  Given a 6 hour time difference to begin with, it be a very long day.  

The experience has been exceptional.  The crew aboard The Ruby Princess has been attentive, courteous and professional.   The food has been well prepared, well presented and abundant.   The chamber orchestra, band, pianist, and other musicians who play in the lounges and ship’s plaza have all been first-rate musicians.  We’ve enjoyed some fine entertainment in the evenings. Our own stateroom steward, Noel has been on top of things throughout the trip. We couldn’t have asked for more.

The sea today was calm, a deep blue, and smooth as glass.  The sun was warm but there was a gentle breeze.  It really was a perfect day for reading poolside.  I am reading the Fall of Giants, which Erin and Jake introduced to us last summer and Charles has been reading the second book in that same trilogy.  We spent hours at the smaller adult-only pools fore and aft.  The big center-ship pools were full of jumping, splashing, busy children.  We were looking for a bit more relaxed atmosphere.  

It was “formal night” aboard ship last night; most of the passengers dressed for the dinner.  Charles enjoyed the lobster while I had the pheasant.  Very nice!  We have enjoyed different table-companions every night, meeting people from al over the world, and engaging in wonderful conversation. We were surrounded by different customs, cultures and languages. A benefit of the “anytime, any where” dinner option that we chose.  

Tomorrow we dock in Venice for another full day of sightseeing and shopping.  Perhaps we’ll get a little nap in the afternoon and then back home on Sunday.  We are missing our kids and grandkids.

Day 12; Thursday, August 1, 2013 Dubrovnik

Day 12; Thursday, August 1, 2013  Dubrovnik
Link to Day 12 Dubrovnik Photographs 

We gained an hour overnight with the time change and had a leisurely & civilized breakfast in the dining room instead of the buffet.  Dubrovnik is known as “The Pearl of the Adriatic” and the old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   The Pile Gate, a 15th century rampart, brings you into the old town which has cobblestone streets and magnificent stone walls that are as much as 20 feet thick in places.  Once inside the old city, there is a large 15th century fountain.  We learned that in the Middle Ages, anyone entering the old city was required to wash their hands and feet here to prevent disease.  There is also a bell tower with two bronze bell ringers fashioned to look like 15th century soldiers.

The first stop on our walking tour was the Franciscan monastery just inside the walls.  It houses the world’s oldest pharmacy and a wonderful museum.  Several 15th and 16th century artifacts reflect that St. Blaise is Dubrovnik’s patron.  There are silver and gold reliquaries displaying bones from many saints as well as some exceptional painting.  One wall of the monastery features a glassed over hole made by a shell that is lodged in the opposite wall.  Few buildings in Dubrovnik escaped the war in 1991; the reconstruction has carefully preserved these memorials to that conflict.

Dubrovnik is filled with Catholic churches. We visited the cathedral as well as an old Dominican church and the Jesuit church of St. Ignatius Loyola.  Each is beautifully decorated and quite unique.

In 1637 there was a catastrophic earthquake and fire in the old town.  Civic leaders made an impassioned plea for everyone to remain in the city and rebuild.  Most surprisingly, long before the American Revolution, they determined that the renewed city should be a model of democracy.

As we wandered the old town, live music could be heard coming from the innumerable restaurants that spill out into the open plazas.  You can sit, have a drink, order a light meal, and listen to very fine musicians.  We did just that, enjoying a cold local beer, a tall bottle of water, and a Greek salad before continuing our tour.  

We probably should have toured the city walls before noon, but we were enjoying our leisurely exploration of the harbor, museums, residential areas, and churches.  After lunch, we paid for tickets to climb up the stone stairway to the ramparts of the city wall. It was approaching 95 degrees and there were hundreds of steep stone steps to be climbed up and down as we circled the entire town.  That certainly challenged my poor knees and feet, but the view was breath-taking!  Part of the old city wall is used for the filming of “Game of Thrones”.   We watched as several swimmers dove from the cliffs into the clear blue sea below.  There are several spots along the wall where one can stop for a cold drink or a snack, but we carried our own water on this trip.

By the time we had circled the whole town and climbed up to the high fortress-keep that dominates the town, we were hot and stiff.  The descent down the worn stone steps was “exciting”.  We caught one of the ship’s shuttle busses and quickly returned through the new part of Dubrovnik to the Ruby Princess.  A shower, a swim, a hot-tub, and then a lovely dinner filled out the day.  The sunset was spectacular as we departed for Venice.

Day 11; Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Corfu

Day 11; Wednesday, July 31, 2013  Corfu
Link to Day 11 Corfu Photographs 

We arrived at the picturesque island of Corfu early Wednesday morning.  Throughout this vacation we have visited ancient ruins.  With Corfu, we moved forward though the centuries to the Renaissance and more modern eras.  Corfu saw settlement by Roman, Venetians, Turks, French, British, Austrian, and German overlords who influenced its culture and transformed this Ionian Greek island into a vacation paradise.  This island is prime real estate, not only for it’s beauty, but also for it’s strategic value.  Napolean stationed troops on the island.  They were replaced by the British who returned the island to Greece as a gift when the first king of Greece was crowned in the 1800’s.  Prince Philip of England was born on Corfu; he is a member of the Greek royal family that was deposed in the 20th century.  Corfu’s strong Venetian influence shows up especially in the architecture of buildings near the fortress that guards the harbor entrance.  There are many restaurants and shops surrounding the British contribution to the island, administrative buildings and a fine cricket pitch.

The hills are dotted with olive groves, oranges, kumquats, grapes, and various nut trees.  Much of our day was spent in the countryside.  Olive trees live for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.  Corfu boasts massive ancient olive trees that twist and stretch out of rocky hillsides.  The terrain is mountainous and green.  There were times when we could look west to Greece, east to Albania (which was 2 miles from Corfu across the Ionian Sea), and down sheer cliffs to our likely descent into the ocean.  The streets are impossible to believe, narrow, winding, frightening, “two-way” roads not wide enough for a goat much less the huge buses that carry tourists!  Our bus driver must have been half mountain goat, half magician.

Our tour from the port took us to the Achilleion Palace built between 1889 and 1892 for the Empress of Austria (and Queen of Hungry) Elizabeth wife of Franz Joseph. Corfu was her favorite place to escape in the summers, and she had a passionate interest in Greek History and Art.  Elizabeth was particularly drawn to the stories of Achilles and named her home away from home for him.  She was smart, accomplished, elegant, beautiful, fiercely independent and would have fit right in with our daughters!

Atop one mountain, commanding the heights over a beautiful bay, was a converted fort that is now an Orthodox Monastery of the Virgin Mary.  We visited the ancient basilica with its glorius icons and then a small museum that helps support the monks.  Charles bought several small copies of famous icons for use with his students.  Despite the many tourists, this was a place of prayer and reflection for the monks.  The gardens and cells of the monks were guarded by cats, cats, and more cats.  Charles now has the sniffles; he’s blaming the cats that seemed to be everywhere!

The view from Paleokastrista, the “rock fortress” along the high, mountainous ridge of the island’s backbone was magnificent.  The height of these mountains is perhaps equal to the Smokey Mountains, but the rocky inclines and winding paths rival some of Colorado’s best.

We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant overlooking Old Corfu before descending back towards the old town for a little shopping.  Olive wood products, local wine and olive oil, and some nice leather goods can be found among the usual tourist souvenirs.  I now have one suitcase filled with gifts & souvenirs!

Day 10; Tuesday, July 30, 2013  Katakolon/Olympia
Link to Day 10 Katakolon and Olympia Photographs 

The first impression I had as we prepared to dock was that, unlike the rocky and sometimes barren country side of other Greek towns, Katakolon is lush with green hillsides, gardens and orchards.  This small fishing village is transformed by hordes of tourists landing on their pier but must be quite charming in the winter months when we are away.

The excursion today was the Olympia Archaeological Site - yes, another chaotic heap of marble and limestone ruin!  What made this ruin special was that it is where the Olympics started roughly 2700 years ago.  It is also home to the Temple of Zeus (not to be confused with the Temple of Olympian Zeus from yesterday).  This one was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Everything was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Theodosis in 393 and a couple of major earthquakes finished the place off.  Like so many of the places we’ve visited, they are continuently digging deeper and discovering new (old) things. Prehistoric temple ruins can be found beneath the foundations of temples constructed during the classical period.  We walked the field where the Stadium once stood and runners competed.

The museum at Olympus contains many of the artifacts dug out from the seven or more feet of soil that covered the ruins.  There is still an active archeological effort underway; so the museum may grow.  The pediments from the Temple of Zeus were especially well preserved.  Of interest to the grandsons especially, there is the original helmet worn by the Greek general who defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon and who sent the first runner back to Athens with news of the victory  It is on display along with a bronze helmet of the Persians.

We returned to port where the streets that were lined with appealing shops of all sorts - okay, it was a “tourist trap” - but I was drawn in!  I even found a gift for my dad that he would appreciate - a bowl hand-turned with wood

from an olive tree.

Day 9; Monday, July 29, 2013  Athens/Piraeus

Link to Day 9 Athens/Piraeus Photographs

This was the one place that Charles was most anxious to see. He had been here some 30+ years ago on business and had very good memories of “discovering” the Parthenon and the Acropolis.

There has been a renewed effort to reconstruct/restore the Acropolis since 2000 and the Parthenon is now covered in scaffolding with a huge crane set in the middle of the temple.  Huge rocks are being hauled into place again after all this time and craftsman are carefully restoring the site.  Unfortunately that takes away from the forlorn beauty of the place and adds to the crush of tourists.   The footing is somewhat perilous. The Acropolis is limestone worn smooth ( i.e. slippery) by millions of feet.  The views are spectacular.  

The reconstruction work has even uncovered some of the temples that stood before the “modern” Acropolis of the 5th century BC.  Many of the real artistic elements of the area have been carted away to either the Acropolis Museum or the National Archaeological Museum for display and safe-keeping.  Sadly, much of the original carved marble artwork that survived two and a half centuries of weathering and then a massive explosion during the Turkish-Venetian wars has now been lost to modern day pollution.  Moving it to the museum has saved what is left.  I enjoyed the Theater of Dionysos where performances still take place. We’ve seen other theaters on this trip but Athens is the birthplace of theater. This is where Thespis gave what is thought to be the first solo performance (hence, our word “thespian”).    

The Cruise line provided our lunch at a lovely hotel and again we were treated to many traditional Greek foods, of course that includes Greek styled coffee and baklava!

After lunch we spent an hour or so at the National Archaeological Museum, which houses splendid pieces of gold dating back to the period of the Minoans who traded with the Egyptians in the third millennium BC.  Some works were on display from even earlier than that.  Frankly, the visit was far too short to do justice to the museum.  We flew through the centuries of Greek and Roman art and saw perhaps 20 per cent of what was available.

We drove by the Greek Parliament on the way back to the Temple of Olympian Zeus near the base of the Acropolis. Building of the Temple started in 6th century BC and wasn’t finished until 131 AD under the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who seems to have been a popular philantropist.  Hadrian’s Arch, which was erected by the Athenians themselves to honor Hadrian for his generosity (or at least not destroying the city) stands nearby.

We stopped briefly for a photo opportunity at the great Panathenaic Stadium. Originally built in the 4th century BC, it was rebuilt in 141 AD and restored with new marble for the first modern Olympics in in 1896.  The 2004 Olympic Marathon finished there - in fact there is an annual marathon that finishes at the Panathenaic Stadium, something to add to my son-in-law Jake’s “bucket list”.  

I did manage a bit of shopping at the central market at the edge of the ancient agora near an old Byzantine Church.  There were several gypsies there attempting to do two things, sell you their goods and distract you with the bargaining so that their partner might have the chance to pickpocket you.